Breaking Conventional Wisdom

Hello All,
I am so happy to have found this lifestyle and this wealth of knowledge that MDA provides. The most difficult time I am having is NOT believing that Saturated Fat is Bad...Cholesterol is Bad... and that Whole Grains are good. I guess this is like believing that the Earth was flat, then being told it was round.

I am 38 years old, 306 pounds, and my entire life I have struggled with my weight. I have also been told, and believed that the Earth was flat, so I am struggling with the comprehension that I should be eating more meat and less wheat. Grok is telling me that the Earth is indeed round. I am trying to undue 38 years of "knowledge"

The problem is that I cant seem to wrap my head around it. Its like trying to feed myself with my left hand now. I have been tracking my intake and I am horrified to read daily numbers like 125 grams of fat! 40 grams of Saturated fat!! A Paltry 70 Net Carbs, and 150 grams of Protein. That is STILL under 2200 calories a day. I mean, my usual diet generally put me at around 3200-3500 a Day. There is no way I could hit 3500 calories without Pizza, my beloved M&Ms, and Bagels.

However, I have been so predisposed to the "Fat is Bad" theory that I worry that I may drop dead by Saturday morning at this rate. I do feel a little better. And my nasty addiction to Chocolate has been pretty tamed. But I am still worried. I mean, 1000mg of Cholesterol consumed in 1 day? That's insane right? Or is it?

Yes, it is difficult to leave the crowd and their science. After all, we've been taught just that, and that the crowd is correct, all our lives. BUT - your weight should be proof that it's not working. In another 30 years, with no change, you'll have a whole lot more proof, and many other serious problems, that it doen't work.

Buy that pound of pastured butter, open it on the counter, grit your teeth, and cook some eggs in it. And some bacon. It will take 2 - 3 days of great meals likt this that you'll love to eat, to get over the CW.

And most important, follow the workout plans. PB won't work without exercise.

MY PRIMAL: I (try to) follow by-the-book primal as advocated by Mark Sisson, except for whey powder and a bit of cream. I advocate a two-month strict adjustment for newbies. But everybody is different and other need to tweak Primal to their own needs.

Keep hanging around here, but stick to the positive posts, not the ones where we argue about stupid all-potato diets and crap. You'll start seeing the bad guys and the good guys very differently. Realize that those hearthealthywholegrains make you sick and fat, that the healthy PUFA's are actually poisons to your system, and that your grandma or great-grandma ate butter from grass-fed cows and knew intuituvely that margarine was an abomination when it hit the market.

You'll be fine. Stick it out. Trade the bagel for bacon & eggs. Good luck.

Even my doctor admits that saturated fat from meat increases HDL, the good cholesterol.

If you look at the correlation between when the USDA started telling us to eat like farm animals (lots of grain to fatten us up) instead of hunting animals (who are always lean) and the obesity epidemic in America, you'll see that this style of eating is good. That said, the foods in PB have much better O6:O3 ratios than conventional food because wild meat and grass fed meat is healthier. If you're truly concerned about saturated fats, eat more fish and seafood. The thing I love about PB is how customizable it is while sticking to the basic premise.

I am 38 years old, 306 pounds, and my entire life I have struggled with my weight. I have also been told, and believed that the Earth was flat, so I am struggling with the comprehension that I should be eating more meat and less wheat.

If you are 306 lbs, how's that working for ya? Not for nothing, but trading meat for wheat and sugar has created a bunch of obese diabetics. You have NOTHING TO LOSE by trying primal. Except weight.

You don't have to be eating bacon and fatty ground beef 3 times a day. Mix it up, try chicken, eat your veggies, eat fish. Throw in some fruit, sweet potatoes.

If you're truly concerned about saturated fats, eat more fish and seafood. The thing I love about PB is how customizable it is while sticking to the basic premise.

^ and she makes a great point. You can eat less fat if you want to. Play around with it. Mix it up.

^ and she makes a great point. You can eat less fat if you want to. Play around with it. Mix it up.

My only caveat to this is that if beginners don't eat enough fat, they don't feel full and they are more likely to fill in the gap with carbs, or with the dreaded nuts, nut butters, and dairy. That only slows the process. I know it's a tough thought, but IMO it's better to OD on beef and pork fat to avoid going over the carb limit, especially in the beginning. [this is just my opinion, but I'm follower of the whole fat-burner/sugar-burner hypothesis.]

MY PRIMAL: I (try to) follow by-the-book primal as advocated by Mark Sisson, except for whey powder and a bit of cream. I advocate a two-month strict adjustment for newbies. But everybody is different and other need to tweak Primal to their own needs.

Man, I do love some bacon and eggs. Always lived in fear of eating the stuff in front of people. But they had not problems with me eating an 80 gram Carb Multigrain bagel and bowl of brown rice.

Thank you, Cryptocode. All I know is what I have been doing for 38 years is not working. I am on blood pressure meds, pre-diabetic, and have sleep apnea. Maybe 38 years was all the case-study I needed?

Even my doctor admits that saturated fat from meat increases HDL, the good cholesterol.
If you're truly concerned about saturated fats, eat more fish and seafood. The thing I love about PB is how customizable it is while sticking to the basic premise.

Thank you, Eagle...the fact that so many of you replied SO fast lets me know I am in a good place. The good thing is that I am Italian and a pre requisite to being a Paesan is having to like fish. I did always eat the seafood over the macaroni.